The present invention generally relates to methods in automatic coffee makers. More specifically, this invention relates to a method of making coffee that uses coffee grounds more efficiently than available in conventional automatic coffee makers.
Conventional automatic coffee makers generally utilize a "drip process" to brew coffee. Heated water is filtered through coffee grounds and thereafter allowed to drip into a coffee pot for storage and dispensation. The coffee stored in the coffee pot is kept warm by a heating element maintained in heat exchanger relationship with the bottom of the coffee pot. Thus, during the warming phase of the "drip process" of automatic coffee brewing the stored coffee continues to brew, albeit at a reduced rate.
A particular disadvantage of the "drip process" is the inefficient use of coffee grounds The conventional method underutilizes the coffee grounds in two ways. Firstly, the coffee grounds must be measured to consider the continued slow brewing during the warming phase. Secondly, the natural flavorings of the coffee grounds are not fully extracted by this method. Thus, a portion of the flavorings in the coffee grounds is wasted. It should then be understood that a greater amount of coffee grounds is required per cup of coffee than would otherwise be required in a method of coffee brewing that more efficiently extracts the flavorings from the coffee grounds.
Various methods for automatic coffee brewing are shown in the prior art. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,211,614 to Morales a method of brewing coffee is disclosed including the step of selectively removing a coffee container above the level of the liquid in a coffee pot after completion of a brewing step. A method including depressing coffee grounds disposed in a tray by a float loose with respect to the tray is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,873,023 to Peirce. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,887,848 to Peirce a method of brewing coffee is disclosed including the step of automatically effecting reciprocatory relative movement between an outer container and an inner container. U.S. Pat. No. 1,887,849 also to Peirce discloses a method including pumping water from a coffee pot to a coffee grounds container disposed in the pot. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,279,351 to Cohn a method of coffee making is shown comprising the steps of filling a container with water, filling a plunger with coffee, activating plunger drive means, heating the water in said container and lowering the plunger into the water by means of the plunger drive means. U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,476 to DeTroya discloses a method of brewing coffee comprising heating water to a desired temperature and spinning a perforated basket containing coffee grounds in the heated water. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,385 to Illy a coffee brewing machine is shown which operates by jetting water through a ground coffee-containing pod and extracting the coffee beverage through a filter. U.S. Pat. No. 4,365,544 to Howitt discloses a method of preparing coffee including rotating a piston containing a flavoring material as it moves axially through a water-filled cylinder. A method of preparing coffee including selectively releasing a floatable brew basket to float on top of brewed coffee at a desired temperature is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,014 to McGrail et al.